Do birds eat bees?

Yes. Some birds eat bees regularly and are not put off by their stings. The National Audubon Society notes that the Summer Tanager of North America is often seen feeding on bees and wasps, catching flying insects in mid-air and sometimes becoming a minor nuisance around beehives.

The same species also breaks into wasp nests to eat the larvae inside. Bees and wasps are part of a mainly insect diet that also includes beetles, cicadas, caterpillars, and grasshoppers, plus some berries.

Source: National Audubon Society, “Summer Tanager” (Guide to North American Birds)

Image: Summer Tanager, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

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